1405 SW Vermont St.
Portland OR 97219
United States

503-475-6555

Articles

Flavors in Abundance

Eamon Molloy

by Olivia Spitzer

Do you know what a scoby is? Or, more specifically, did you know that the word “scoby” is actually an acronym? SCOBY stands for Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast – and is a major component in the fermentation and production of kombucha.

Valerie Castoral visited Los Angeles in 2013 for a friend’s wedding, and she came home with a scoby. Her friend was a homemade kombucha enthusiast and wanted to include Valerie in her new hobby. Upon her first taste of the probiotic drink, Valerie remembers, “My immediate reaction was ‘oh, this is kinda like soda, but it’s kinda gross. I bet I can make this better.’”

Valerie Castoral and her partner, Paul, own and operate Golden Age Kombucha, the newest vendor to join the Hillsdale Farmers’ Market. With more than 75 different flavors, Valerie is always up to something new. Golden Age boasts rotating weekly flavors, as well seasonal flavors, and year-round staples. The reason they offer such diversity? Valerie firmly believes in the power of a local barter economy. Valerie trades growlers of kombucha with local farmers for her ingredients, like ripe fruit and flavorful herbs and produce. It means their lineup is always changing, always in step with the Oregon agricultural atmosphere, always unique to this region.

Valerie even barters for her commercial kitchen space. She began looking for space to expand in 2017 but “we wanted the business to be really intentional. We were reviewing kitchens, and we decided we wanted to find a place for trade. In 2019 it finally happened – a friend of a friend said, ‘Use of the kitchen for kombucha. We’ll put you on tap.’” Since then, Golden Age Kombucha has been available on tap at Dick’s Primal Burger on Woodstock in SE Portland.

It makes sense that Golden Age is so invested in trading with other small businesses, as Valerie’s kombucha endeavors began firmly rooted in her community. The first time she brewed kombucha she hosted a party at her home for all her friends to come by. “I was fascinated by the whole process, the taste of it, the bubbliness of it, so I started to experiment with it. I had this party with mason jars and spoons. It all started there. I liked getting the feedback.”

The community is what keeps Valerie in the farmers market scene. Golden Age started with straight barter, then moving on to participating in Stone Boat Farm’s CSA, then launching their own subscription service. Now you can find Valerie and Paul at the Oregon City Farmers’ Market, the Hawthorne Farmers Market, and local flea markets. “We like to be involved in our markets, personally. When you go to the grocery store, you’re not interacting with a person, you are interacting with a product. We consider ourselves kombucha converters. We’re always mixing it up, you’re always able to find something new [with us].”

This person-based community barter approach to business is intrinsic to Golden Age Kombucha. The name comes from Greek mythology, she explains. “[It’s] the idea of a plethora of abundance and peace. No fears around resources. We thought that name would go into abundance existing, being able to live the life we want.”

Golden Age Kombucha’s first booth at the Hillsdale Farmers’ Market will be this coming Sunday, July 31st. The day promises to be warm and sunny – perfect for stopping by and picking up a fews cans of cold, refreshing, abundant kombucha. Do you have your own growler or drinking container? Use your own container and receive $2 off a growler and $0.50 off a drinking container

Big Goals, Tiny Greens

Eamon Molloy

by Olivia Spitzer

Monday – prep. Tuesday – plant. The following Friday – harvest. Welcome to the world of microgreens.

The word “microgreens” refers to the nascent stage of vegetable or herb plants that are edible on their own, before they reach full maturity. There are over two hundred different varieties of microgreens, including broccoli, carrot, arugula, radish, kohlrabi, beet, yarrow, and cantaloupe. They look exactly as you might expect. Microgreens are small, slender, and seedling-like - something like sprouts, but in a much wider spectrum of colors, shapes, and textures. They’re small but substantial. They bring to mind Helena’s reflection about her friend Hermia, in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream: “though she be but little, she is fierce.”

Helena is referring here to Hermia’s bark, but with microgreens it is all about the bite. “Microgreens can be four to forty times more nutrient dense than their mature counterpart,” Keith Brown says. It’s all to do the that bundled plant potential. The seeds carry all the components of the mature plant, just ready to burst forth. When you eat microgreens, you’re able to take advantage of that. It’s a part of what makes microgreens such an amazing food. For a small purchase, adding microgreens to your diet can really have a big effect on your nutritional intake.

They’re also simpler to incorporate into your daily life. No peeling, chopping, steaming, or cooking required. Soledad Diaz, known as Sol, and says, “We add them to everything: scrambled eggs, avocado toast, burgers, pizza, smoothies, salads, sandwiches, soups.” Keith interjects, “We put microgreen basil on ice cream!” Sol continues, “The nutrient content is amazing, and the flavor is so much more potent in microgreens.”

Keith Brown and Sol Diaz make up Modern Living Kitchen, a microgreen farm located right in Hillsdale, and Hillsdale Farmers’ Market newest vendor. The idea behind Modern Living Kitchen began as Sol’s capstone project for her master’s degree in nutrition. As Sol dove into the research of microgreens’ nutritional impact, and their farming practices, the couple soon quickly saw the potential these seedlings hold. “Keith and I connected through our love of plants and growing.” Sol remembers, “Joining our brains together really made this project flourish.”

 

 

Modern Living Kitchen is indisputably a farm, but it is tucked inside of a two-bedroom apartment. Keith and Sol have transformed their spare room, complete with a sterilized entry, an air purifier, a dehumidifier, LED grow lights, and racks and racks of high-quality nursery trays, brimming with microgreens. Stepping into their farm is like walking between realms – the air, the light, it’s all different, and it’s all growing.

 

“One of our biggest motivators is accessibility to nutrient dense foods,” Sol says. Their operation is growing, alongside their plants. Keith and Sol have big goals for microgreens. In an increasingly unstable climate, Modern Living Kitchen’s microgreens are able to grow no matter the outside weather, the time of year, or the condition of the local soil. As compared with traditional farming, “we are using a fraction of the water, making a fraction of the waste, and we can grow so much in a small space.” They firmly believe growing microgreens is a solution to many of today’s food industry problems.

 

 

Keith’s family lives in Spray, a small town in rural Oregon. Sol uses them as an example of a community locked in a food desert, the type of populations they hope to serve. “They have to drive two hours to get fresh produce and groceries. Typically, the only thing available is convenience stores, with ultra-processed foods. How can we begin to solve this problem?” For Modern Living Kitchen, the answer comes in small, nutrient dense packages. On an individual scale, Keith and Sol are hoping to grow their business, begin offering at-home kits, and inspire families to grow their own microgreens. On a much bigger, future scale, they’d love to provide infrastructure for entire communities to participate in growing microgreens, farmed and designed to fit inside a refrigerated shipping container. “We want to be able to ship these to communities, to make food accessible in food desserts.”

 

Modern Living Kitchen is seeking to take some of the smallest food and cause some big changes. In 2022 their operation has grown exponentially, and they’re thrilled to be bringing their product to the Hillsdale Farmers’ Market. They sell plant specific batches, as well as mixes of radishes or salad greens. “We want to make people excited about vegetables. Microgreens are just so easy: the easier answer, the easy choice to get your vegetables in your day. At Modern Living Kitchen, we believe everyone deserves healthy foods.”

 

Find them at the market this weekend, or go to their website to order directly for at-home delivery.

Do You Know About SNAP?

Eamon Molloy

by Azul Tellez Wright

The COVID19 crisis has left many families scrambling to afford groceries as their hours have been cut or their jobs revoked completely. As a result, Oregonians are seeking food assistance through the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), formerly known as food stamps. Oregon’s Department of Human Services (DHS) received 49,000 SNAP applications in March and April compared to the 400-500 they typically receive each month.[1] In response, DHS allocated an extra $60 million in SNAP benefits for the months of April and May. They recently passed another $30 million for June.[2] As SNAP becomes a necessity for many families, we’ve compiled a list of common questions about the program. Below is a run down of SNAP and how it can be used at farmers markets and elsewhere.

What is SNAP?
SNAP is a federal program to help low-income households purchase food so that they can maintain proper nutrition. The USDA distributes funds to individuals states who then administer the benefits through their Department of Human Services (DHS) offices. Nationwide, 38 million Americans received SNAP benefits in 2019.
 
Who is eligible to receive SNAP benefits?
Eligibility for SNAP is based on household size (how many people live in the house and eat the food that is purchased) and income. Income includes both earned income (money made from working) and unearned income (unemployment insurance, child support, social security, cash assistance, etc). The best way to check eligibility is to apply.
For more information on eligibility, check out the following websites:


How do I apply?
Filling out an application online is the best way to apply for SNAP benefits. You can apply online at Oregon.gov. While it is possible to apply in person at a DHS office, they are encouraging people to apply online due to COVID.
 
Where can SNAP be used and on what?
SNAP benefits can be used at most grocery stores, retail food outlets, and farmers markets. SNAP can be used to purchase eligible foods such as fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy products, grains, beans, nuts, and other staples. It cannot be used to purchase hot or ready to eat food items, vitamins, medicine, alcohol, tobacco and non-food and household items. Visit the USDA’s site for a full list of eligible items.
SNAP benefits are distributed monthly through an EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) card, also known as the Oregon Trail card.
 
What is the Double Up Food Bucks Program? The Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB) Program is an incentive for SNAP customers to purchase the healthiest items available at the farmers market while empowering them to spend their SNAP funds locally. Each market day, eligible participants can receive up to $10 in matching funds when they purchase SNAP tokens to spend at the market. For example, if you spend $10 of your SNAP dollars at a participating farmers market, you would receive another $10 to buy more locally grown fruits and vegetables. The DUFB voucher is valid for the purchase of fresh fruits, vegetables, fresh or dried beans, fresh herbs, vegetable & herb starts, and nuts and seeds. DUFB can be used at select farmers markets. Visit Farmers Market Fund’s website for more information.
 
Can SNAP be used at farmers markets?
Yes! SNAP benefits can be used to purchase food and food-producing plants at the Hillsdale Farmers’ Market. Just like grocery stores, SNAP cannot be used to purchase ready to eat foods or beverages, like coffee. Not all farmers market accept SNAP, so check their website before going.
To use SNAP benefits at the market, first head to the information booth. You’ll be able to use your SNAP card to receive wooden SNAP tokens which can be used as currency at the market. The wooden tokens do not expire but can only be used at the market you bought them from.
 
More resources for food assistance

  • Pandemic EBT (P-EBT)  provides financial support for families who participated in the free and reduced lunch program. P-EBT funds are intended to cover the cost of groceries while students are out of school.

  • Oregon Food Bank’s Find Food Map- Enter a zip code and the map will pull up the nearest food pantries and their hours.

  • Partners for Hunger Free Oregon has compiled a thorough list of resources here.

  • PCC has a list of resources with food and other funding assistance for students.


[1]https://www.kgw.com/article/money/increased-demand-oregon-food-stamp-benefits/283-ec19e656-6cfd-4844-80b8-2e2f8fbdeac8[2]https://www.kdrv.com/content/news/Oregon-rolls-out-30-million-more-in-SNAP-benefits-for-June-570516161.html

May 17 2020 Market

Eamon Molloy

As I explained last week, PPS has moved up the Rieke Parking lot construction by 6 weeks. The parking area from SW Vermont St to the soccer field/playground path is fenced off and construction has begun. The project should be completed by the end of June. We are open as a walk through market. Like grocery stores, we are limiting the number of shoppers inside the market. Here are the basic rules:

  1. We will be limiting access inside the market space to 65 people at a time. Please consider sending only one person per household into the market space. As always, ONLY service animals are permitted inside the market space.

  2. Foot traffic will flow one way from SW Capitol Hwy south toward SW Vermont. Use the sidewalks on west (Rieke) side of the parking lot to get back to SW Capitol Hwy. If you are walking to SW Vermont St, use the path on the east (Wilson) side. To help alleviate the foot traffic on the path from SW Vermont St to the market please park in the areas designated in this map (link).

  3. Safe distance waiting spots will be marked in front of each vendor's setup. 

  4. We don't have enough wagons. If you are ordering a lot of items, consider bringing your own.

  5. If you have a mask please bring it and wear it.

  6. Hand washing stations will be set up at the entrance and exit. Feel free to use them. 

  7. We will be carefully monitoring the 6 foot safe physical distance rule. If a volunteer or staff members asks you to create a bigger space, please comply.

You can find a PDF of the COVID shopping guidelines here (link).

One final note, we will be limiting token transaction to our SNAP customers. If you still have tokens, feel free to use them. Otherwise, use cards (preferred) or cash with the individual vendors.

See you on Sunday,

Eamon Molloy

Market Manager

This Week's Vendors

Here's this week's list of vendors. Most are confirmed. The list may change during the week. Look for an update on the Facebook page.

Ah-Nuts
Barn Frog Farm
Boyco Foods
Dirty Girl Acres
Gales Meadow Farm FINAL WEEK
Garden Color
Gathering Together Farm
Gee Creek Farm
Greenville Farms
Herr Family Farm
Linda Brand Crab & Seafood
Mama Tee's Farmstead
Martinez Family Farms
Meadow Harvest
Naked Acres Farm
Pablo Munoz Farms
Pine Mountain Ranch
Red Bird Acres
Sacred Summit
Salmon Creek Farm & Apiary
Scratch Meats
Sun Gold Farm
The Hummus Stop
Twisted Croissant
Wild Oregon Provisions

We are continuing to offer pre-order as an option. You can pick up your order from the individual vendors. Oomph Cooking Blends and Salmon Creek Farm are now on our online ordering platform. You can register as a customer here (link). The ordering period will begin on Tuesdays at 4:00 PM and close at 11:59 PM on Thursday.

Sadly we cannot offer curbside pickup this week. We don't have enough volunteers, the space to consolidate orders, or the space to queue up the pickups at our location at this time. We are exploring options for the future but cannot offer the service at this time. 

Vendors Offering Pre-order

Barn Frog Farm (vegetables)- shopping cart Ordering will open at 7:00 pm Tuesday.

Gales Meadow Farm - certified organic veg & herb starts, tomato starts. All but two tomato varieties are now available. More pepper varieties are available as well. Email Gales Meadow Farm at meadow@coho.net and the farm will send you the availability list.  PLEASE PLACE ORDER BY 12:00 PM  FRIDAY MAY 8 **NOTE - THIS IS THE FINAL WEEK FOR GALES MEADOW FARM YOU CAN FIND THEM AT HOLLYWOOD FARMERS MARKET AND PEOPLE'S CO-OP FARMERS MARKET**

Garden Color - order from our site (link).

Gathering Together Farm - vegetable box order (link) The farm post registration for the produce boxes every Wednesday at 10am for the following weekend's pick-up, and boxes sell out within hours and sometimes even minutes, so register early! The farm is transitioning away from the VSA boxes. Visit the link to for more information. 

Herr Family Farm - flowers arrangements order from their site (link).

Hummus Stop - hummus, tabouli, tzatziki, chips, pita bread, yogurts (maybe) Order from our site (link). Hummus Stop will also deliver with a minimum order, ask them for details at  (360)608-9541 or (360)949- 9320, email

Mama Tee’s Farmstead (eggs, chicken, pork, goat, vegetables) You can order from our site (link). If you don't see an item on our site check Mama Tee's site as well Order Form

Meadow Harvest Beef and Lamb new beef in! order by email - email link

Momo Cocoa - order from our site (link).

Naked Acres Farm (vegetables, pork, eggs, hot sauce) - Order Form

Oomph Cooking Blends order from our site (link).

Pablo Muñoz Farm vegetables and strawberries! new website is up (link).

Pine Mountain Ranch ( buffalo, yak, elk, beef, alpaca, sausage and bacon) - text 541-604-4051 or email

Red Bird Acres - Eggs, Whole and half bulk boxes of pork plus cuts, sausage, bacon, offal and more (link)

Salmon Creek Farm -  honey, tomato clusters, beefsteak, heirloom all hydroponically grown order from our site (link).

Scratch Meats is taking orders for their sausage on our site (link) and on their site (link)

Sun Gold Farm (rhubarb, grains, flours, popping corn, nuts, dry beans, annuals, veg starts, herb starts, berry bushes, fruit trees - order page ORDER DEADLINE 11:00 PM THURSDAY MAY 7

Wild Oregon - returns this week with chinook salmon from off the Southern Oregon coast. Email (link) to order.

COVID-19 Shopping Guidelines

Eamon Molloy

For the health and safety of our vendors, volunteers and shoppers the market will be operating under these rules.

  1. Do not come to the market if you feel ill and are experiencing respiratory illness symptoms or fever.

  2. Masks must be worn in the market shopping area. No exceptions except for medical reasons.

  3. Please one person per household unless you need ADA accommodation.

  4. No animals except service animals.

  5. There will be only one entrance into the market. All customers will enter at the SW Capitol Hwy side of the market. Customers will exit from the SW Vermont St side of the market (see map below). No more than 65 customers will be allowed inside the market at any time. The biggest line will be in the first hour the market is open. Consider coming at a later time.

  6. Pre-order for pickup is the best way to ensure you can get your favorite items.

  7. We strongly encourage you to limit your shopping time to 20 minutes. We want to allow as many households as possible to shop at the market.

  8. Six foot safe distance must be maintained. Waiting spaces will be marked off for each vendor. Please use these spaces.

  9. Handwashing stations will be located at the market entrance and the market exit. Please wash hands before entering and exiting. There will also be handwashing stations in the market. The portable restroom is for vendor use only.

You can download PDF of the guidelines here (link).

Updated Floor Plan Limited Market.png

Meat and Seafood Options at the Market

Eamon Molloy

All of us have heard or read the news reports about the processing plant closures. Meat availability at many large chains is in limited supply. For now, that is not a problem at our market and other farmers markets. This is your chance to try locally raised meats. You’ll find beef, bison, chicken, lamb, pork, and yak.

Mama Tee’s Farmstead (eggs, chicken, pork, goat, vegetables) You can order from our site (link). If you don't see an item on our site check Mama Tee's site as well Order Form

Meadow Harvest Beef and Lamb new beef in! order by email - email

Naked Acres Farm (vegetables, pork, sausages, eggs, hot sauce) - Order Form

Pine Mountain Ranch (bison, beef, yak, sausages) - text 541-604-4051 or email to receive availability list

Red Bird Acres - Eggs, Whole and half bulk boxes of pork plus cuts, sausage, bacon, offal and more (link)

Scratch Meats is taking orders for their sausage. You can order from our online market site (link) or the Scratch Meats site (link)

Looking for seafood? Wild Oregon is taking orders for chinook salmon caught off the Southern Oregon coast. Email Wild Oregon at wildoregon.hills@gmail.com

The market this week is pre-order early so be sure to get your order in. Visit this week’s list of vendor accepting orders here (link).

May 10 Pick Up Market

Eamon Molloy

May 8 10:00 am The ordering period for most vendors in now closed.

Here's this week's list of vendors and how you can order. Are you using SNAP benefits or do you know someone who wants to use their benefits? Double Up Food Bucks matches SNAP benefits with vouchers to use for the purchase of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and plants that grow food. That's right, if you want to buy any start that produces food, you can use your SNAP benefit and DUFB vouchers. Contact the vendor and let them know you wish to use SNAP. Also contact me (link). I will have our card machine available. We won't be handing out the actual vouchers. We will apply Double Up Food Bucks as appropriate to your purchase.

We added a few more vendors to the online platform this week. Not registered yet? Register as a customer here (link). The ordering period will begin on Tuesdays at 4:00 PM and close at 11:59 PM on Thursday. You can order nursery stock from Garden Color, hummus, pitas, and more from Hummus Stop, cocoa products from Momo Cocoa, eggs, vegetables, chevon (goat) ground and stew and eggs from Mama Tee’s Farmstead, meats, vegetables, soaps and more from Naked Acres Farm on our ordering site this week. We'll add more vendors in the coming weeks. 

PPS has moved up the Rieke Parking lot construction by 6 weeks. The parking area from SW Vermont St to the soccer field/playground path will be fenced off by this weekend. The project should be completed by the end of June. So how does that affect the market? We won't be a drive through market this weekend. Pre-orders are still required but you will be walking through. Here are the basic rules:

  1. We will be limiting access inside the market space to 65 people at a time. Please consider sending only one person per household into the market space.As always, ONLY service animals are permitted inside the market space.

  2. Foot traffic will flow one way from SW Capitol Hwy south toward SW Vermont. Use the sidewalks on either side of the parking lot to get back to SW Capitol Hwy.

  3. Safe distance waiting spots will be marked in front of each vendor's setup. 

  4. We don't have enough wagons. If you are ordering a lot of items, consider bringing your own or choose to use curbside pickup. (More on that option below)

  5. If you have a mask please bring it and wear it. It is not a requirement this week but will be starting May 17th.

  6. Hand washing stations will be set up at the entrance and exit. Feel free to use them. 

  7. We will be carefully monitoring the 6 foot safe physical distance rule. If a volunteer or staff members asks you to create a bigger space, please comply.


We are also offering curbside pickup. The construction project makes where to place the pickup site tricky. The tentative site will be on SW Vermont St just west of the parking lot entrance. Pick up hours will be 10:30 am to 12:00 pm. We need the first half hour the market is open to move the curbside orders to the location. Sign up for a curbside pickup time here (link). (NOTE: This is a new online scheduling system. It should be easier to use than the last one. Email me (link) if you have problems.) Be sure to enter which vendors you ordered from. We can get your orders ready more quickly that way.  

Thank you for pivoting with this unplanned shift in operations. Like our first drive through market, we will learn a lot this Sunday and improve the operation in the coming weeks.

Here is the list of participating vendors:

Barn Frog Farm (vegetables)- shopping cart Ordering will open at 7:00 pm Tuesday, April 28.

Dirty Girl Acres - OFF back next week

Gales Meadow Farm - certified organic veg & herb starts, tomato starts. This is the first week tomato starts will be available. Expect more tomato varieties in the coming weeks and other starts including summer veg starts (peppers, eggplant, cukes, squash). Email Gales Meadow Farm at meadow@coho.net and the farm will send you the availability list. PLEASE PLACE ORDER BY 12:00 PM  FRIDAY MAY 8

Garden Color - order from our site (link).

Gathering Together Farm - vegetable box order (link) The farm post sregistration for the produce boxes every Wednesday at 10am for the following weekend's pick-up, and boxes sell out within hours and sometimes even minutes, so register early! Thankfully, even when produce boxes sell out, you can still visit our online shop and place an order for at least $40 worth of add-on items for pick-up

Herr Family Farm - flowers arrangements order from their site (link).

Hummus Stop - hummus, tabouli, tzatziki, chips, pita bread, yogurts (maybe) Order from our site (link). Hummus Stop will also deliver with a minimum order, ask them for details at  (360)608-9541 or (360)949- 9320, email

Mama Tee’s Farmstead (eggs, chicken, pork, goat, vegetables) You can order from our site (link). If you don't see an item on our site check Mama Tee's site as well Order Form

Meadow Harvest Beef and Lamb new beef in! order by email - email link

Momo Cocoa - order from our site (link).

Naked Acres Farm (vegetables, pork, eggs, hot sauce) - Order Form

Pablo Muñoz Farm vegetables and strawberries! new website is up (link).

Pine Mountain Ranch ( buffalo, yak, elk, beef, alpaca, sausage and bacon) - text 541-604-4051 or email

Red Bird Acres - Eggs, Whole and half bulk boxes of pork plus cuts, sausage, bacon, offal and more (link)

Salmon Creek Farm -  honey, tomato clusters, beefsteak, heirloom all hydroponically grown visit the store here (link), call 360.558.1790 or email (link).

Scratch Meats is taking orders for their sausage (link)

Sun Gold Farm (rhubarb, grains, flours, popping corn, nuts, dry beans, annuals, veg starts, herb starts, berry bushes, fruit trees - order page ORDER DEADLINE 11:00 PM THURSDAY MAY 7

Wild Oregon - returns this week with chinook salmon from off the Southern Oregon coast. Email (link) to order.

See you on Sunday,

Eamon Molloy
Market Manager


May 3 2020 Pick Up Market

Eamon Molloy

Sign up for a pick up time here (link).

Here's this week's list of vendors and how you can order. Are you using SNAP benefits or do you know someone who wants to use their benefits? Double Up Food Bucks matches SNAP benefits with vouchers to use for the purchase of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and plants that grow food. That's right, if you want to buy any start that produces food, you can use your SNAP benefit and DUFB vouchers. Contact the vendor and let them know you wish to use SNAP. Also contact me (link). I will have our card machine available. We won't be handing out the actual vouchers. We will apply Double Up Food Bucks as appropriate to your purchase.

While it took longer than I wanted, our online ordering platform is open. We are conducting a soft opening for the platform this week. Register as a customer here (link). The ordering period will begin on Tuesdays at 4:00 PM and close at 11:59 PM on Thursday. You can order nursery stock from Garden Color, hummus, pitas, and more from Hummus Stop, cocoa products from Momo Cocoa, and eggs, meats, vegetables, soaps and more from Naked Acres Farm on our ordering site this week. We'll add more vendors in the coming weeks. 

Pick up hours will be 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. Sign up for a pick up time here (link). (This one works, I promise!) PLEASE be sure to sign up. With over 200 households coming through in 3 hours, scheduling pick up times is the only way to keep everyone sane. We want to minimize contact so you will drive into the market site and stop in front of the vendor (or vendors) you ordered from. They will load your car. If you come by bicycle, use the same procedure. Please enter from SW Vermont St whether you are driving, cycling or walking. We want to minimize contact so you will drive into the market site and stop in front of the vendor (or vendors) you ordered from. They will load your car. If you come by bicycle or foot, use the same procedure. Assistant Manager Azul Tellez Wright is the market's Safe Social Distance Manager. She will be monitoring the market to insure that the 6 foot rule is followed. Please listen to her direction while in the market. If you walk just look for market staff or volunteer. We will give you direction then.

Here is the list of participating vendors:

Barn Frog Farm (vegetables)- shopping cart Ordering will open at 7:00 pm Tuesday, April 28.

Dirty Girl Acres - salad bag (2 buttercrunch lettuce heads, 2 bunch carrots) $10,  $10 radish salad bag (3 radish bunches (multicolored), buttercrunch lettuce head), $10 root bag (3 radish bunches, 2 carrot bunch), $5 one pound arugula, cat greens $5 container, Endive 1 lb bag $5. Mizuna and spinach will be available too. Order by email (link) or by text or phone (link).

Gales Meadow Farm - certified organic veg & herb starts, tomato starts. This is the first week tomato starts will be available. Expect more tomato varieties in the coming weeks and other starts including summer veg starts (peppers, eggplant, cukes, squash). Email Gales Meadow Farm at meadow@coho.net and the farm will send you the availability list. PLEASE PLACE ORDER BY 12:00 PM  FRIDAY MAY 1

Garden Color - order from our site (link).

Gathering Together Farm - Vegetable Box Online Order (link) We post registration for our produce boxes every Wednesday at 10am for the following weekend's pick-up, and boxes sell out within hours and sometimes even minutes, so register early! Thankfully, even when produce boxes sell out, you can still visit our online shop and place an order for at least $40 worth of add-on items for pick-up.

Herr Family Farm - flowers arrangements order from their site (link).

Hummus Stop - hummus, tabouli, tzatziki, chips, pita bread, yogurts (maybe) Order from our site (link). You can also order by phone, text or email (360)608-9541 or (360)949- 9320, email Hummus Stop will also deliver with a minimum order, ask them for details

Mama Tee’s Farmstead (eggs, chicken, pork, goat, vegetables) Order Form

Meadow Harvest Beef and Lamb new beef in! order by email - email link

Momo Cocoa - order from our site (link).

Naked Acres Farm (vegetables, pork, eggs, hot sauce) - Order Form

Pablo Muñoz Farm vegetables and strawberries! new website is up (link).

Pine Mountain Ranch - text 541-604-4051 or email

Red Bird Acres - Eggs, Whole and half bulk boxes of pork plus cuts, sausage, bacon, offal and more (link)

Salmon Creek Farm -  honey, tomato clusters, beefsteak, heirloom all hydroponically grown visit the store here (link), call 360.558.1790 or email (link).

Scratch Meats is taking orders for their sausage (link)

Sun Gold Farm (rhubarb, grains, flours, popping corn, nuts, dry beans, annuals, veg starts, herb starts, berry bushes, fruit trees - order page ORDER DEADLINE 11:00 PM THURSDAY APRIL 30

See you on Sunday,

Eamon Molloy
Market Manager

Fruit or Vegetable?

Azul Tellez Wright

POP (Power of Produce) Take Home Activity

Topic: How can you tell the difference between fruits and vegetables?

Starting question: What do you think makes fruits and vegetables different?

Lesson: It can be tricky to tell the difference between fruits and vegetables. There is more to it than just sweet and savory! Today you’ll learn what makes fruits and vegetables different and you’ll get to practice telling the difference in an activity.

Fruits are special because they have seeds inside of them or on their skin. For example, a peach has one big seed in its center while strawberries have lots of small seeds on their skin. You can always see the seeds inside of a fruit, even if they are very small. Fruits come from the flower of a plant and only grow above ground.

Vegetables come from a seed instead of a flower. They can grow above or below the ground. They don’t have seeds inside of them. 

Another way to think of it is that the roots, stems, and leaves of a plant turn into vegetables and the flowers turn into fruits. 

Activity: View or download the activity sheet here (link). Look at each of the fruits and vegetables in the chart and decide which ones are fruits and which ones are vegetables. Remember: if you can see the seeds, it’s a fruit!

Success with Tomatoes

Eamon Molloy

Gales Meadow Farm.png

by Anne Berblinger, Gales Meadow Farm

FYI We posted this article in the April 29 2018 edition of the Grapevine.

Tomatoes are not hard to grow, but they do need care and attention. The key ingredients to tomato success in our area are:

Selecting the right varieties

Our area is not ideal for growing tomatoes, because tomatoes need warm nights that stay above 65°F, or even better above 70°F. That doesn’t happen here. The last summer we lived in the Washington D.C. area, the low was 89°F one night. Which would you rather have, our pleasant cool nights, or the widest possible selection of tomato varieties? I choose cool nights, since there are still (really!) thousands of tomato varieties to choose from. The classic Brandywines, Cherokee Purples, Mortgage Lifters and the Hybrid Beefsteaks are only going to give us ripe tomatoes in September, if then. But we can have Prudens Purple, Victoria, Astiana, and Anna Russian, which are every bit as wonderful as the best known heirlooms. And some of them qualify as heirlooms themselves, being more than 100 years old.

We grow early and mid-season varieties, as do the other tomato plant vendors at the Hollywood, Hillsdale, and Peoples Co-op Market. Feel free to ask when you can expect tomatoes from the variety you choose. But don’t expect a very precise answer, since it all depends on “degree days,” a measure of how many warm hours we will have between now and tomato time. Early tomatoes are usually ready before the end of July, and mid-season tomatoes in August. Gales Creek, where we have our farm, is colder than Portland. The cool air from the top of the Coast Range comes down the Gales Creek Canyon every night in summer and settles on our fields. So if a tomato works for us, it will work for a garden in Portland.

If you can only grow your tomatoes in pots, choose varieties that have been bred to grow well in pots. We have seven varieties that do splendidly in pots.

Choosing the right location

Tomatoes need good soil and as much sun as they can get. At least ten hours of sun a day is ideal, and six hours is the absolute minimum. If your garden area is too shady to provide that, pick a sunnier spot and grow container varieties. Some tomatoes that do fairly well with less than ten hours a day are Sungold, Uralskiy Ranniy, Stupice, and Victoria. Cherry tomatoes are usually more tolerant of less than 10 hours than bigger ones.

If your tomato location has not been used as a garden spot before, put off getting your tomato plants and spend some time preparing it. Remove a layer of sod (or all the weeds if that is what is there). Dig in generous amounts of your own or purchased compost.

Proper transplanting

Tomatoes like to be “planted deep.” That means you can take off the bottom leaves and bury the bottom ⅓ to ½ of the stem. Some people like to plant them horizontally, so that part of the buried stem is in the very top layer of the soil. This is fine.  Tomatoes need to be 2 to 2½ feet apart. You can fill the space between with lettuce or basil.

Dig a hole quite a bit deeper than the pot the tomato is in. Put in half a cup of complete organic fertilizer.  We use the Steve Solomon mix, named after the founder of Territorial Seeds.  4 parts fish meal, 1 part calcium carbonate (garden pearls), one part kelp meal, ½ part bone meal. You can get these ingredients at Portland Nursery or Naomi’s Organic Farm Supply.  Or you can use a pre-mixed organic fertilizer. Mix the fertilizer in with the soil at the bottom of the hole, and then add a few inches of soil back in. Put the tomato into the hole, and pack the soil around it by hand. Water it well. If you plant it in the middle of a hot sunny day, check it in the evening and water it again if it is wilty. It takes a day or so for the roots to take hold in a new place.

And please label your tomato plants, so you know which ones you love the most and do the best for you. You can write the name with a Sharpie on a canning jar lid and tie it to the cage or affix it to a stick.

Pint mixing sticks make great markers.

Watering

The conventional wisdom, which will serve you well, is that tomatoes need to be watered consistently until the fruit starts to show a little color. Then you can cut back or cease watering completely. Consistent watering means watering very well and then not watering again until the top of the soil is dry to the touch. If a young plant starts to wilt because it got too dry, watering will bring it back with no harm done. If a plant gets to the crunchy stage, it is probably a goner. Tomatoes grown with inconsistent watering may develop blossom end rot. The treatment for that is to cut the bad part off and enjoy the rest.

We are working with Oregon State on some dry farming research. In 2016, we had great success with Champagne Bubbles and Early Girls that were grown with absolutely no irrigation after they were planted. Yields were lower than with irrigated tomatoes, but still generous, and the flavor was amazing.  Last year, we grew Trinity, Early Girl F2 from saved seeds, Champagne Bubbles, and one each of our other varieties in our dry patch. They all did well, so this year, we will grow all our tomatoes without irrigation. If you want to try dry farming tomatoes, have a place for them away from the rest of your garden.

Here’s a source of information on the dry farming project: https://agsci.oregonstate.edu/dry-farm-collaborative

Pruning and support

Most of the tomato plants we grow are indeterminate, which means they like a cage or another means of support. Do not waste your money on flimsy cages. Tomato plants get big and heavy and need real support. We use heavy-duty cages for our cherry tomatoes.  We make bamboo pyramid structures for the others. We tie the stems to the bamboo with cut-up socks and t-shirts. String is bad; it will cut into the stems. There are many good methods for supporting tomatoes; the Internet is full of them. And it is not against the law to let them sprawl if you have room. The disadvantage of sprawling tomatoes is that they are harder to pick and more subject to slug damage.

We prune the cherry tomatoes lightly if at all. With all the other tomatoes, we prune out the suckers. Those are the wanna-be stems that grow in the armpits between the main stem and the leaves. Our goal is to have one stem per tomato plant, but we often end up with two or three. That’s ok. What you don’t want is twenty or more stems, because then the plant will devote itself to growing foliage rather than fruit. Around Labor Day, it’s a good idea to cut off the growing point of each stem, since any tomato blossom that appears after that is too late to produce a tomato.  When you cut off the growing points, the plant concentrates on ripening the remaining fruit.

Harvesting

It’s ideal to pick tomatoes when they are dead ripe if they are going to be eaten or preserved that day. But picking them when they have good color but are still a bit firm will not result in diminished flavor, and will allow more flexibility in when they are used. If you are growing a variety you have not tried before, it may be hard to tell when they are fully ripe. Green Zebras have dark and light green stripes throughout development, and the light green stripes turn yellow when they are ripe. Some of the heirloom tomatoes stay green on the shoulders around the stem. This is good, since green shoulders and the best flavor go together genetically. A good test for ripeness is the feel – ripe tomatoes are a bit soft.  If your tomatoes are grown in a garden with other plants that need more watering, pick them when they are a little under-ripe to avoid having them split.

If it rains, all of the tomatoes that are close to ripe should be picked quickly, since they will split if they stay on the plant after a rain.

If you have questions, ask them! The vendors who sell tomato plants and the Master Gardeners are more than happy to help you achieve tomato success.

April 26 2020 Pick Up Market

Eamon Molloy

Here's this week's list of vendors and how you can order. Are you using SNAP benefits or do you know someone who wants to use their benefits? The Farmers Market Fund has increased Double Up Food Bucks funding for all markets during the month of April. We will be offering up to $20 in vouchers for the first $20 in SNAP purchases this Sunday and April 26th. Double Up Food Bucks matches SNAP benefits with vouchers to use for the purchase of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and plants that grow food. That's right, if you want to buy any start that produces food, you can use your SNAP benefit and DUFB vouchers. Contact the vendor and let them know you wish to use SNAP. Also contact me (link). I will have our card machine available. We won't be handing out the actual vouchers. We will apply Double Up Food Bucks as appropriate to your purchase.


Pick up hours will be 10am to 1 pm. Sign up for a pick up time here (link). We want to minimize contact so you will drive into the market site and stop in front of the vendor (or vendors) you ordered from. They will load your car. If you come by bicycle, use the same procedure. If you walk just look for market staff or volunteer. We will give you direction then.

Here is the list of participating vendors:

Barn Frog Farm (vegetables)- shopping cart Ordering will open at 7pm Tuesday, April 21.

Dirty Girl Acres - salad bag (2 buttercrunch lettuce heads, 1 bunch carrots, 1 bunch beets) $10,  $10 radish salad bag (3 radish bunches (multicolored), buttercrunch lettuce head), $10 root bag (3 radish bunches, 1 carrot bunch, 1 beet), $5 one pound arugula, cat greens $5 container. Order by email (link) or by text or phone (link). UPDATE Beets are sold out, carrots will be the replacement 2nd Update Yes there is endive - 1 lb bag $5

Gales Meadow Farm - certified organic veg & herb starts, tomato starts. This is the first week tomato starts will be available. Expect more tomato varieties in the coming weeks and other starts including summer veg starts (peppers, eggplant, cukes, squash). Email Gales Meadow Farm at meadow@coho.net and the farm will send you the availability list.

Gathering Together Farm - vegetable box order (link) (Filled for this Sunday but you can order for the coming weeks)

Hummus Stop - hummus, tabouli, tzatziki, chips, pita bread, yogurts (maybe) order by phone, text or email (360)608-9541 or (360)949- 9320, email Hummus Stop will also deliver with a minimum order, ask them for details

Mama Tee’s Farmstead (eggs, chicken, pork, goat) Order Form

Meadow Harvest Beef and Lamb order by email - email link

Naked Acres Farm (vegetables, pork, eggs, hot sauce) - Order Form

Ole World Oils text 503-757-8590 or email

Pablo Muñoz Farm three bag options $10 (4 heads of lettuce), $15 mixed vegetable bag(bunch scallions, bunch garlic sprouts, bunched radishes, bunch asparagus, bunch cilantro, 2 heads of lettuce), $25 large mixed vegetable bag (4-5 lettuce, 1 bunch radish, 1 bunch of bush onions, 1 bunch of shallots, 1 bunch of garlic sprouts, 1 bunch of asparagus,1 single leek, one bunch cilantro, rhubarb), plus strawberries, $25 per half-flat (6 pints). You can order by texting the order to Joel (phone) .

Pine Mountain Ranch - text 541-604-4051 or email

Red Bird Acres - Eggs, Whole and half bulk boxes of pork plus cuts, sausage, bacon, offal and more (link)

Salmon Creek Farm -  honey, tomato clusters, beefsteak, heirloom all hydroponically grown visit the store here (link), call 360.558.1790 or email (link).

Scratch Meats is taking orders for their sausage (link)

Sun Gold Farm (rhubarb, grains, flours, popping corn, nuts, dry beans, annuals, veg starts, herb starts, berry bushes, fruit trees - order page

Check back for updates

Eamon Molloy

Market Manager

2020 CSA Options at the Market

Eamon Molloy

We have been receiving a lot of questions about CSA options at the market. Here are the options currently available:

Barn Frog Farm grows vegetables and herbs in Halsey, OR. The farm has three CSA options. You can find their order form here (link).

Mama Tee’s Farmstead is a diversified farm in Willamina, OR. The farm produces vegetables, fruits, pasture-raised eggs, and meats. Mama Tee’s Farmstead has a few options still available. Their order form can be found here (link). The available options (as of 8:00 am on April 16, 2020) can be found on page 2.

Red Bird Acres is an Animal Welfare Approved farm raising pastured poultry and hogs near Corvallis, OR. Red Bird Acres also has eggs. Their offerings can be found here (link).

While we operate on a pre-order and pick up basis, other farms offer pre-order options. The list changes weekly. You can find the link to the most current list on our home page (link).

April 19 2020 Pick Up Market

Eamon Molloy

I won’t have the market ordering platform ready for this Sunday so we will be ordering the same way as last week. Are you using SNAP benefits? Contact the vendor and let them know. Also contact me (link). The Farmers Market Fund has increased  Double Up Food Bucks funding for all markets during the month of April. We will be offering up to $20 in vouchers for the first $20 in SNAP purchases this Sunday and April 26th. Double Up Food Bucks matches SNAP benefits with vouchers to use for the purchase of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and plants that grow food. Contact the vendor and let them know you wish to use SNAP. I will have our card machine available. We will be able to apply Double Up Food Bucks as appropriate to your purchase as well.


Pick up hours will be 10am to 12pm. Sign up for a pick up time here (link).We want to minimize contact so you will drive into the market site and stop in front of the vendor (or vendors) you ordered from. They will load your car. If you come by bicycle, use the same procedure. If you walk just look for market staff or volunteer. We will give you direction then.

Here is the list of participating vendors:

Barn Frog Farm (vegetables)- shopping cart

Gathering Together Farm - vegetable box order (link) (Filled for this Sunday but you can order for the coming weeks)

Hummus Stop - hummus, tabouli, tzatziki, chips, pita bread, yogurts (maybe) order by phone, text or email (360)608-9541 or (360)949- 9320, email Hummus Stop will also deliver with a minimum order, ask them for details

Mama Tee’s Farmstead (eggs, chicken, pork, goat) Order Form

Meadow Harvest Beef and Lamb order by email - email link

Naked Acres Farm (vegetables, pork, eggs, hot sauce) - Order Form

Ole World Oils text 503-757-8590 or email

Pine Mountain Ranch - text 541-604-4051 or email

Red Bird Acres - Eggs, Whole and half bulk boxes of pork plus cuts, sausage, bacon, offal and more (link)

Scratch Meats is taking orders for their sausage (link)

Sun Gold Farm (rhubarb, grains, flours, popping corn, nuts, dry beans, annuals, veg starts, herb starts, berry bushes, fruit trees - order page

Pablo Muñoz Farm will be coming this Sunday. Here are Pablo’s options:

There are three bag options from $10 to $25. You can order by texting Pablo (phone) or Joel (phone)

Check back for updates

Eamon Molloy

Market Manager

April 5 2020 Pick Up Market

Eamon Molloy

I won’t have the market ordering platform ready for this Sunday so we will be ordering the same way as last week. Are you using SNAP benefits? Contact the vendor and let them know. Also contact me (link). I will have our card machine available. We will be able to apply Double Up Food Bucks as appropriate to your purchase as well.

Pick up hours will be 10am to 12pm. Sign up for a pick up time here (link).We want to minimize contact so you will drive into the market site and stop in front of the vendor (or vendors) you ordered from. They will load your car. If you come by bicycle, use the same procedure. If you walk just look for market staff or volunteer. We will give you direction then.

Here is the list of participating vendors:

Barn Frog Farm (vegetables)- shopping cart

Gathering Together Farm - vegetable box order (link) (Filled for this Sunday but you can order for the coming weeks)

Hummus Stop - hummus, tabouli, tzatziki, chips, pita bread, yogurts (maybe) order by phone, text or email (360)608-9541 or (360)949- 9320, email Hummus Stop will also deliver with a minimum order, ask them for details

Mama Tee’s Farmstead (eggs, chicken, pork, goat) Order Form

Meadow Harvest Beef and Lamb order by email - email link

Naked Acres Farm (vegetables, pork, eggs, hot sauce) - Order Form

Ole World Oils text 503-757-8590 or email

Pine Mountain Ranch - text 541-604-4051 or email

Red Bird Acres - Eggs, Whole and half bulk boxes of pork plus cuts, sausage, bacon, offal and more (link)

*Salmon Creek Farm - honey, pollen, garlic, onions (link)

Scratch Meats is taking orders for their sausage (link)

Sun Gold Farm (grains, flours, popping corn, nuts, dry beans, annuals, veg starts, herb starts, berry bushes, fruit trees - order page

Check back for updates

Eamon Molloy

Market Manager

March 29 Pick Up Market

Eamon Molloy

This Sunday, March 29th, was not a scheduled market date. But given the situation, we are conducting another pick up market. Are you using SNAP benefits? Contact the vendor and let them know. Also contact me (link). I will have our card machine available. We will be able to apply Double Up Food Bucks as appropriate to your purchase as well.

Like last week, pick up hours will be 10am to 12pm. We want to minimize contact so you will drive into the market site and stop in front of the vendor (or vendors) you ordered from. They will load your car. If you come by bicycle, use the same procedure. If you walk just look for market staff or volunteer. We will give you direction then.

Here is the list of participating vendors:

Barn Frog Farm (vegetables)- shopping cart

Gathering Together Farm - vegetable box order (link)

Mama Tee’s Farmstead (eggs, chicken, pork, goat) Order Form

Sun Gold Farm (grains, flours, popping corn, nuts, dry beans, annuals, veg starts, herb starts, berry bushes, fruit trees - order page

Pine Mountain Ranch - text 541-604-4051 or email

UPDATE Red Bird Acres - Whole and half bulk boxes plus a Hillsdale Box (link)

UPDATE Scratch Meats is taking orders for their sausage (link)

UPDATE Oomph Cooking Blends is taking orders (link) listed Hillsdale pickup in notes

UPDATE Meadow Harvest Beef and Lamb order by email - email link

Naked Acres Farm won’t be at the market this Sunday but plans on attending on April 5th.

Check back for updates

Eamon Molloy

Market Manager

Pre-orders and Pick ups at the Market March 22

Eamon Molloy

As I explained in the message sent out on Monday, we will not conduct a regular market this Sunday, March 22nd. Farmers and food vendors are setting up pre-order portals and taking orders by email. The farmers and vendors will need a minimum number of orders to break even. Tell your friends and neighbors. Are you using SNAP benefits? Contact the vendor and let them know. Also contact me (link). I will have our card machine available. We will be able to apply Double Up Food Bucks as appropriate to your purchase as well.

Pick up hours will be 10am to 12pm. We want to minimize contact so you will drive into the market site and stop in front of the vendor (or vendors) you ordered from. We also ask that you sign up for a pickup time. You can sign up here (link). (Please do not sign up for a pick up if you haven’t pre-ordered. Thank you!!) They will load your car. If you come by bicycle, use the same procedure. If you walk just look for market staff or volunteer. We will give you direction then.

Here is the list of participating vendors:

Baird Family Orchards (packaged hazelnuts) - link

Barn Frog Farm (vegetables)- shopping cart

Gathering Together Farm - vegetable box order (link) extended their order to deadline Friday AM. Check their website for the time.

Mama Tee’s Farmstead (eggs, chicken, pork, goat)- Order Form March 21 UPDATE still taking orders

Meadow Harvest Beef and Lamb - email link

Naked Acres Farm (vegetables, pork, eggs, hot sauce) - Order Form

Sun Gold Farm (grains, flours, popping corn, nuts, dry beans, annuals, veg starts, herb starts, berry bushes, fruit trees - order page

Pine Mountain Ranch - text 541-604-4051 or email

Red Bird Acres - Whole and half bulk boxes visit their site (link) for details. UPDATE Red Bird Acres now has a Hillsdale Box. (link) See page for details

Ole World Oils text 503-757-8590 or email (Ole World Oils is offering a 10% discount)

While not at the market, several vendors have set up pick up options:

Souper Natural - pick up at Beaverton Farmers Market (It’s a drive through market this Saturday)

Twisted Croissant - to go orders available at their storefront 2129 NE Broadway, Portland OR 97232

Other vendors, such as Portland Ashwagandha and Momo Cocoa, have mail order options. You can find links to their site on our Vendors page (link).

Thank you for your patience as we implement these precautionary procedures. We will learn a lot this Sunday and have a better operational plan in the weeks to come.

Eamon Molloy

Market Manager

Farming in the Age of Climate Change

Eamon Molloy

by Azul Tellez Wright

A few weeks ago, I attended an event hosted by Friends of Family Farmers titled “Farming in the Age of Climate Change”. The room was filled with farmers, people in the nonprofit sector, and community members interested in how climate change is affecting our small, local farmers. Farmers spoke about the changes they are experiencing due to climate change and the mitigation tactics they are using to adapt to it.

“Climate change in the Pacific Northwest will not have the same effects as the rest of the world,” says Anne Berblinger of Gales Meadow Farms. Farmers in the Pacific Northwest are currently experiencing or can expect to experience the following effects:

  • More days in the 90s and 100s causing interference with plant growth and pollination. Flowering produce such as peppers and tomatoes need to be pollinated or else their flowers will fall off and no fruit will grow.

  • Increase in the number of smoky days, which, combined with hotter days will create unhealthy working conditions. Anne Berblinger reported that there were ten days last year with unworkable conditions.

  • Limited water for irrigation caused by regional water shortages.

  • Excessive winter rain as a result of warmer temperatures in the atmosphere.

  • Milder winters leading to increase in weeds and insects, who thrive in warmer temperatures.

While these effects pose serious challenges, farmers are nothing if not resilient and adaptable. What are farmers doing to mitigate the effects of climate change? Many farmers have begun to focus more of their attention on reducing their carbon footprint on the farm.

Zach Menchini of Campfire Farms in Mulino, Oregon, shared that the feed he gives his livestock account for most of his carbon emissions. In order to offset this, he has planted 15 acres of trees on his property. Trees sequester carbon out of the atmosphere, thus making up for the carbon emitted through the production of his pig feed.
Anne Berblinger of Gales Meadow Farm has been experimenting with Dry Farming, a method of farming without irrigation. This means that plants do not receive water (except rainwater) after seeding or transplanting. Anne says that dry farming results in lower yields but much better flavor than irrigated crops. She has experimented with different varieties of plants to find which ones are successful in dry farming, such as the Red Pontiac Potato. Over 100 farmers in Oregon are using dry farming through an OSU Small Farms program that teaches farmers this alternative farming method.

Other methods of mitigating climate change include:

  • Planting earlier in the calendar year since it becomes warmer sooner. Some farmers are planting their tomates as soon as May 21st.

  • Being vigilant about looking for new pests and weeds.

  • Adding more organic materials to the soil to increase water retention.

Next week, I’ll be covering House Bill 2020, also known as Oregon’s Cap and Trade Bill. The bill passed out of its legislative committee last week and would incentivize farmers to engage in climate change mitigation tactics. Check in next week for a discussion of the bill’s implications for small farmers!

SNAP Match Bill Introduced

Eamon Molloy

Two identical bills, HB 2837 (link) and SB 727 (link), have been introduced in the Oregon Legislature this week. These bills direct the Department of Human Services to adopt a program to provide financial assistance to recipients of supplemental nutrition assistance (SNAP) for purchasing locally grown fruits and vegetables from participating farmers' markets, farm share sites and selected retail outlets in under-served areas. The programs will match the amounts a recipient spends on eligible foods using SNAP funds. The bill provides $3 million in funds and will take effect July 1, 2019, if passed.

These bills, the result of efforts of The Farmers Market Fund (link), Oregon Food Bank (link), and Oregon Farmers Markets Association (link), builds on The Farmers Market Fund's successful statewide pilot program that ran from 2015-2018. Ninety percent of SNAP customers reported that they were able to purchase more fruits and vegetables because of the match program. Usage of Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB) grew 10% at the Hillsdale Farmers’ Market last year. But SNAP token purchases grew 20% in the same year. The $10 match has a very real multiplier effect and really helps neighbors with limited income purchase healthy food.

What can you do right now? You can contact your state legislators. If you are not sure who is representing you, just enter your address here (link) and you can find out. You can also help spread the word in the community. Here is a one page flyer you can send to friends (link). We will be following this bill as it works its way through the legislature and will have updates in upcoming issues of The Grapevine.

In Memoriam - Josh Kadish

Eamon Molloy

josh Kadish.png

Josh Kadish was a mediator, attorney, musician, husband and father extraordinaire. Born in NYC to June and Sanford Kadish, Josh grew up in Salt Lake City, Michigan, Cambridge, and Berkeley, CA. Josh met the love of his life, Lisa Maas, at age 16, playing oboe in the Berkeley High School Orchestra.  Music was a central part of his life, and he was an outstanding classical and folk/rock musician.   Throughout his adult life, he sang in choirs with Lisa (most recently the Bach Cantata Choir) and in a barbershop quartet called “the Sandals” (a tribute to Josh’s favorite footwear, usually worn with white socks) that performed at benefits, senior residences, and community gatherings. He sang his original songs about love, food, and aging from his album “Middle Aged Guy with a Guitar”, entertaining audiences at Seattle’s Folklife Festival, Hillsdale Farmers Market, and other locales.   

After graduating from Haverford College, playing oboe semi-professionally, dropping out of Oxford, and trying his hand at carpentry, Josh pursued a career in law. He received his JD from Stanford University in 1979 and then clerked for the Oregon Supreme Court.  In 1983, he joined and soon became partner at Meyer & Wyse LLP, which later became Wyse Kadish LLP. Josh was a founding board member of Oregon Mediation Association and served as an officer on the board for over a decade.  He received the prestigious Sidney Lezak Award, and was consistently named one of Oregon’s Super Lawyers and recognized on the Best Lawyers in America list. In 2014, he was their Lawyer of the Year for Family Mediation. Josh taught family law, negotiation, and mediation for over 25 years as an adjunct professor at Lewis and Clark’s Northwestern School of Law. He was committed to mentoring young attorneys throughout his career, and for many years, he regularly volunteered helping indigent immigrants at Legal Aid.

Josh’s professional accomplishments never interfered with his devotion to creating a loving family with Lisa, parenting their three sons--Nathan, Seth and Jonathan--- in his consistently good-natured and supportive way. He cheerfully participated in their interests and shared his own – going to concerts, playing Frisbee and chess, doing crosswords, delighting in ants and birds, reading voraciously, singing, and practicing musical instruments. He was a fabulous cook, specializing in meals that cleaned out everything in the freezer.

Josh was passionately committed to community work, serving as president of the board of Neighborhood House, Chamber Music Northwest, Hillsdale Farmers Market, and Young Musicians and Artists, and being an active member on numerous other boards. On Saturday mornings, he was often spotted picking up litter around Hillsdale, and he actively supported the Hillsdale Farmers Market since its founding, setting up early in the morning, rain or shine, and playing music which engaged market visitors, young and old.

 He had a reputation in the community for his integrity, dedication, and fairness. He was also unpretentious, generous and kind, with a wry and quirky sense of humor, a prodigious knowledge of obscure facts and word definitions (sometimes made up), and an unfaltering readiness to help out in whatever capacity he could.  

After 15 months of living with intention and gratitude for all he had been able to experience in his life, Josh died with dignity, surrounded by family, on October 7th, 2018.  “It’s been a great trip,” he said calmly, as he drifted off. Josh is survived by family all of whom loved and admired him deeply--his wife, sons, daughters-in-law (Lindsay, Dana, and Connie), grandchildren (Henry, Franklin, and August), brother (Peter), and many devoted relatives and friends of all ages. A celebration of his life will be held in the Eliot Chapel at the First Unitarian Church of Portland on December 15th at 10:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, please donate to Neighborhood House in Josh’s name.

Consumer Demand for Fruits & Vegetables

Jacqui Stork

Last week we discussed the low percentage of U.S. farm land allocated for growing fruits and vegetables, and how that could contribute to a higher price point for those products. Today, we'll touch on the impact consumers have on the market for fruits and vegetables.

Typically, when demand for a product or service is lower than supply, the price will fall. But, what happens when low demand seems to be a driver of a shrinking supply? In the case of specialty agricultural crops, like fruits and vegetables, we end up with an equilibrium price that is higher than that of other products.

American consumption of fruit and veggies is well below what is recommended by the federal government. In the case of MyPlate (USDA), the guideline stipulates that you should make "half your plate fruits and vegetables" and the Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) the recommendation is to eat 1-2 cups of fruit plus 2-3 cups vegetables daily. If you're curious about what the CDC recommendation looks like in "real food" terms, check out this piece by The Kitchn which shows exactly how simple it can be to meet this requirement.

Unfortunately, the average American isn't getting anywhere close. In fact, just 10% of American adults met the CDC recommendation in 2018, down significantly from almost 30% in 20101. This trending down is especially apparent amongst adults 45 years and older, and is even more acute for those over the age of 652. One speculated reason for this decline is the reliance on convenience food items (like pizza, packaged pastas, or other one-dish meals) that eschew the traditional "center cut with vegetable side" meal template2.

In short, we've changed the way we eat. A recent Harvard Business Review report shares that just 10% of us self-identity as people who love to cook3. Preparing fresh produce (especially vegetables) requires a fairly significant investment of time, knowledge, and skill - peeling, chopping, cooking, etc. When you consider those two facts - that most Americans don't love cooking and that preparing vegetables takes work - it's unsurprising that many of us are opting out. When this information is then coupled with the preponderance of convenience foods available, its hard to feel shocked that the average adult in the U.S. eats just 1 serving of vegetables per day2.

This lack of consumer engagement provides disincentives for farmers who may otherwise be interested in growing these crops, which may help explain why such a small percentage of farm land is used for growing fruit and vegetables. Using an economic model developed at Purdue, one study estimated that if consumption increased to the point where Americans met the federal guidelines, farmers would increase growth of these products by 88%4. It's a classic catch-22: if people ate more fruit and vegetables, they could potentially be produced at a lower cost, thus encouraging people to eat more fruits and vegetables.

At the same time, produce is the most commonly wasted farm product we have. This occurs at all levels of the food supply chain. Farmers regularly leave produce unharvested in the field, there are many reasons for this but one that is commonly cited is the expectation by consumers of a "perfect" product. If produce is not symmetrical, blemish-free, bright, right-sized, and otherwise beautiful it is left in the field, kept out of the market, or not selected by consumers. The cost of producing this product doesn't go away, however. Farmers, knowing that they will ultimately "over-plant" each season must price their remaining product accordingly (read: more expensively).

Farmers' market and other direct-to-consumer shoppers already eat a greater quantity and variety of fresh produce than the average American5, but even we can do better. When it comes to food, we have a real opportunity to vote with our dollars. By choosing to invest in high-quality fresh produce, we can tell farmers that we want more of these foods. By looking past blemishes, weird shapes, or other so-called "imperfections" we can help circumvent some of the waste that drives up their cost.

Getting your "Five a Day" is not that hard, and more than half of all Oregonians aren't even doing that.

We can, and should, do better.

 

 

1 https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/downloads/fruits-vegetables/2018/2018-fruit-vegetable-report-508.pdf

2 http://www.pbhfoundation.org/pdfs/about/res/pbh_res/State_of_the_Plate_2015_WEB_Bookmarked.pdf

3 https://hbr.org/2017/09/the-grocery-industry-confronts-a-new-problem-only-10-of-americans-love-cooking

4 https://www.ucsusa.org/news/press_release/less-corn-more-fruits-and-vegetables-0378.html#.W6vsWhNKgWo

5 https://farmersmarketcoalition.org/report-on-direct-to-consumer-fruits-and-vegetable-purchasing/